Orthopedic and like chair



United States Patent Harold A. Bailey inventor Birmingham, Alabama (R0. Box 250 Pinson, AL 35126) Appl. No. 752,618

Filed Aug. 14,1968

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 ORTHOPEDIC AND LIKE'CHAIR 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

u.s. Cl. 291/42;

Int. Cl. A47c 4/00 Field of Search 297/Wheel Chair Digest, 148, I83, 19s, 45, 42; 280/474, 42

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,733,754 2/1956 Leslie et al 297/6 2,810,429 10/1957 Lane et al. v 297/42 2,866,495 12/ l 95 8 Diehl et al. 297/42 3,l42,35 l 7/1964 Green i. 297/42 Primary Examiner-James Tv McCall Atrorneye Buell, Blenko & Ziesenheim ABSTRACT: A chair having a horizontal translatable frame carrying upstanding support members atone end thereof. A seat is carried by the upstanding members and extends forwardly thereof over and in vertically spaced relation to the horizontal frame with the seat being supported adjacent the rear thereof by the upstanding memberswith the forward end of the seat being free. The upstanding members cross each other and are pivotally connected to each other with the seat being supported adjacent the pivotal connection Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,774

Sheet 1 of 2 t for/megs Patented Nov. 17, 1910 7 3,540,174

Sheet 3 of 2 INVILVI'OR.

Hero/a 4 Bm/ey 1 onrnoranrc ANp LIK CHAIR BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention relates to a 'chair and more particularly to such a chain" which shallbe adapted for use with orthopedic I patients in the treatment of fracturecases as well asdislocated hips in both adults and children.

Heretofore in the art to which my inventionrelates, difficul-.

ties have been encountered in supporting personsunderg'oirig M orthopedic treatment whereit is desired-to avoidweightbeah ing on the fractured area or dislocated joints or'where the-.pa.-,

tient could not sit in a normal sitting position; This. is especially true where transverse barlike members are employed to secure the legs of a patient at fixed positions relative .to each support members 24- and 26 extend inwardly toward each other and cross eachothe'r, as shown. Theuppermost ends of the upstandingmembers 24 and 26 are bent as'at 27 and 28,

. respectively, to prov'iderearwardl'y extending. spaced apart handle members 29 and 31, respectively. Suitable resilient covers 32'are mountedon the-ends of the handle members 29 and'31 to facilitate gripping the handle members. v

other while the fracture or dislocated joint is undergoingtreatment.

BRlEF SUMMARY OFlNVENTlON To overcome the above and other diffic'ulties,-l providca I chair having a forwardly extending scat which is mounted ad- 1 jacent its rear end to upstanding support members whereby a the seat is held in vertically spaced relation to and extends over a horizontal translatable frame mounted for movement adjacent a supporting surface. The forward end of theseat is thus free of obstructions, such as support members for the forward end of the seat, whereby the legs of the user are free to extend downwardly alongside and beneath the seat. The chair is adapted tomove from a collapsedposition to an extended,-

operating position whereby the chair requires a minimum of space when not in use and when stored.

A chair embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the chair in operating position; I FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the chair; FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; I I

application,-

the manner in which the seat and chair back are supported from the upstanding support members; and,

H0. 5 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing the arms broken away and in section with the tray omitted for the sake ofclarity.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding'of my invention, l show a horizontal, translatable frame-l0 which comprises elongated side members ll and. l2' which are Pivotally connectedto the upstandingsupport members'24 I and 26st the pointthe upstandingmembers cross each other the sidemembers 39and 41 are secured to the inner surface of a curved, resilient cover member 42 for the seat. which is soft and pliable enough to assure that there is no pinching ofa person secured ina cast.

Secured to the inner surfaces of thedownwardly and outwardly extending side members 39 and4l are elongated membersj 43 and 44,-r espectively', of a turnbuckle unit indicated generally at 45. By rotating the turnbuckle unit in one direction, the depending sides 39 and 41 are moved away from each other to increase the effective contour of the seat 33. On

the other hand, upon rotation of the-turnbuckle unit 45 in the opposite direction the sides 39 and 41 "move' toward each other to decrease the contour size ofthe seat 33.

Hingedly connected to the rear end ofthe seat 33 by a suitable hinge 46-is a chair back 47which is adapted to move from the solidline position shown inFlG. 4 to the dotted line posi- FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental', sectional view showing tion. Secured to and projecting rearwardly of the back 47 are spaced-apart projectionsr48 which are adapted to'snapinto "recesses 49 carried by'theupper ends ofthe upstanding support members24 and 26, asshown in FIG. 4.- That is, with the projection 48 engaging the recess 49; the chair back 47 is held adapted to be supported in spaced relation to each other, as

shown in FIG. 1, while in use. Pivotally connected to the elongated side members 11 and 12 are inwardly'extending brace members 13 and 14, respectively. Preferably, thebrace members l3 and 1 4 are provided with rolled edges which define cylindrical openings for receiving the elongated, side. members;

I1 and 12. The inner ends of the brace rnemb'ersl3 and 14 are hingedly connected to eachother by a suitable. hinge=1=l6 whereby the inner ends of the bra'ce members 13 and 14 are;

adapted to move upwardly whilethe elongated-side members 11 and 12 move inwardly toward each otherfto acollapsed'a position. Caster wheelsll7 and 18'are mountedat the forward ends of the elongated members ll and 12 while caster. wheelsl9 and 21 are mounted beneath the rearends of'the elongated.

members 11 and 12, as shown. The rear caster wheels 19 and 21 are provided with conventional type locking units 22 which hold the wheelsl9 and 21 against rotation while the locking units are engaged in a manner well understo odin the art to:

which my. invention relates. Preferably;vannular resilient members 23surround the upper portion of each caster wheel;

to'preventthe chair from damaging furniture',.walls, fixtures and thelike that it might-contact while in use.',

Formed integrally with the rear ends of theelongated side members 11 and 12 are upstanding support members 24 and 26, respectively. As shownin FIGS. 1,3 and 5, the upstanding in the upstanding-operating'positi'on. To move the chair back '47 to the'inoperative, collapsedposition, the upper end of the back 47 is moved forwardly and downwardly to the dotted line position whereby the upstandingsupport members 24 and 26 may be pivoted relative to the shaftlike'member 34 to a collapsed position. lt will be understood that prior to moving the 'upper ends of'the upstanding members 24 and 26 toward each,

'other, theinner, ends of the brace member 13 and 14 are pulled upwardly to permit the elongated members 11 and 1,2 to move'inwardly towardjeach other as the upstanding members 24 and 26 are pivoted about the shaft34.

Secured 1 to the "upstanding supp'ort members 24 [and 26 above the shaftlike member are forwardly extending arms Sliand 52.which are in position 'to extend alongside and engagethe sides of the chair back 47 while the back is in the vertical operating position. The'engagementof the arms 51 and 52 with the sides of thechair back 47 thus aidin retaining the upper ends of the upstanding-support me'rnb'ers'24 and 26 in the operating position until the chairback 47 is moved downwardlyandinwardly to'thedott ed line'po'sition'sho'wn in FIG; 4.Mountedforlongitudinal adjustment along the forwardly extending arms 51 and 52 is a transverse tray 53 which maybe of a conventional type tray employed on high chairs for small children. Thetransverse tray53 may be completely removed from the arms Stand 52 as the person is positioned 'on theseat 34 with the' legs of the. person extendingv downwardly beneath the seat. After'the person is seated, the

tray 53 is attached to the forwardly extending arms 51 and 52 and adjusted to the proper position in g the usual manner. Where the chair is used by a small child, a strap 54' is attached at its upper end to the under surface ofthe tray 53 and a suita- 'ble catch 56 is provided at the lower end of the strap 54 for engaging an eye member 5 7.carried by the under portion of the seat 33, as shown in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved chair will be readily understood. While the chair is not in use, the transverse tray 53 is removed from the forwardly projecting arms 51 and 52 and the chair back 47 is moved from the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 to the dotted line position. The hinge member 16 connecting the inner ends of the brace member 13 and 14 is then lifted whereby the elongated side members 11 and 12 move inwardly toward each other as the rearwardly extending handle member 29 and 31 move inwardly toward each other. With the chair in the collapsed position, a minimum of space is required for the chair while it is being transported from place to place or stored. I

To move the elements of the chair toward extended or operating position, the handle members 29 and 31 and the elongated side members 11 and 12 are moved away from each other whereby the upstanding support members 24 and 26 pivot about the shaftlike member 34 to the operating position with the brace members 13 and 14 extending in a generally horizontal plane. The chair back 47 is moved from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 to the solid line position whereupon the projections 48 move into engagement with the recesses 49 carried by upper portions of the upstanding members 24 and 26. The engagement of the projections 48 with the recesses 49 in combination with the engagement of the .forwardly extending arms 51 and 52 with the sides of the back 47 retain the chair in the operating position. With the chair thus assembled, the person to be supported therein is positioned on the seat 33 with the legs of the person depending beneath the seat. The transverse tray 53 may then be detachably connected to the forwardly extending arms 51 and 52 and the lower end of the flexible strap 54 may be attached to the eye member 57. As shown in H6. 2, the point that the person is supported on the seat 33 is directly above the center of the horizontally extending, translatable frame to provide a well balanced unit.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that l have devised an improved chair which is particularly adapted for use with orthopedic cases. By providing a forwardly extending seat which is supported entirely adjacent the rear end thereof by the pivotally mounted upstanding support members,-no supporting members obstruct the under surface of the forward portion of the chair seat whereby the legs of a person rigidly connected to each other may be readily inserted beneath the seat as the person is positioned-on the seat. By providing releasable lock means for attaching the chair back to the upstanding support members together with the engagement of the forwardly extending arms 51 and 52 with the-sides ofthe chair back, the upstanding members 24 and 26 are held in a stable operating position whereby there is no chance of accidental collapse of the chair. Also, the position of the inwardly extending brace member 13 and 14 prevent inward movement of the elongated side members 11 and 12 until the hinged portion 16 thereofis raised. Furthermore, by providing a rearwardly opening recess at the rear of the translatable frame between theupstanding support members 24 and 26, the person pushing the chair has ample leg room to permit easy manipulation of the chair as it is moved from place to place. 7

it will be apparent that a suitable collapsible baglike member may be supported from the handle members 29 and 31 for carrying articles necessary to a child's care, if desired.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

lclaim:

1. A chair comprising:

a. a horizontally extending translatable frame mounted formovement adjacent a supporting surface; b. at least one upstanding vertical support member carried by one end ofsaid translatable frame;

c. a single horizontally extending support member fixed at one end to said vertical support member and extending parallel to the frame;

d. a seat carried by said horizontally extending support member and extending forwardly thercofovcr and in vertically spaced relation to said translatable frame with said seat being supported entirely adjacent the rear thereof by said single horizontally extending member on said upstanding vertical support member with the forward end of said seat being free; and

e. handle means carried by the chair for moving said chair.

2. A chair as defined in claim 1- in whichsaid translatable frame comprises:

a. an elongated side member at each side of said translatable frame with each side member being in spaced relation to f the other side member;

b. inwardly extending brace members pivotally connected at their outer ends to said elongated members; and

c. means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said inwardly extending brace members to each other whereby said side members are adapted to move selectively front on operating position in spaced relation to each other to a collapsed position adjacent each other.

' 3. A chair as defined in claim 2 in which each said elongated side member is formed integrally with an upstanding support member with the upstanding support members extending inother at the point where the single horizontally extending member is fixed.

4. A chair as defined in claim 3 in which the uppermost ends of said upstanding support members extend rearwardly and define spaced apart handle members for moving the chair.

5. A chair comprising:

a. a horizontally extending translatable frame mounted for movement adjacent a supporting surface, said frame having an elongated side member at each side of said translatable frame with each side member being in spaced relation to the other side member;

b. at leastone upstanding support member carried by one end of said translatable frame, said frame formed in" tegrally with a said upstanding support member with the upstanding support members extending inwardly across each other and pivotally connected to each other at the point they cross, inwardly extending brace members pivotally connected at their outer ends to said elongated members, and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said inwardly extending brace members to each other whereby said side members are adapted to move selectively from an operating position in spaced relation to each other to a collapsed position adjacent each other;

c. a seat carried by said upstanding support member and extending forwardly thereof 'over and in vertically spaced relation to said translatable frame with said seat being supported entirely adjacent the rear thereof by said upstanding support member with the forward end of said seat being free;

' d. handle means carried and . a chair back hingedly connected to said scat adjacent the rear thereof and adapted to move from a collapsed position adjacent said seat to an upstanding operating position adjacent said upstanding support members.

6. A chair as defined in claim 5 in which said chair back is detachably connected to said upstanding support members to retain said chair back and said upstanding support members in operating position.

7. A chair as defined in claim 5 in which forwardly extending arms are carried by said upstanding support members in position to engage the sides of said chair back while said chair by the chair for moving said chair,

' I 9. A chair comprising:

a. a horizontally extending translatable frame mounted for movement adjacent a supporting surface, said frame having an elongated side member at each side of said translatable frame with each side member being in spaced relation to the other side member;

b at least one upstanding support member carried by one end of said translatable frame, said frame formed integrally with asaid upstanding support member with the upstanding support members extending inwardly across each other and pivotally connected to each other at the point they cross; inwardly extending brace members pivotally connected at their outer ends to said elongated members, and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said inwardly extending brace members to each other j whereby said side members are adapted to move selectively from an operating position in spaced relation to each other to a collapsed position adjacent each other;

e. a seat carried by said upstanding support member and extending forwardlythereof over and in vertically spaced relation to said translatable frame with said seat being supported entirelyadjacent the rear thereof by said up standing support member with the forward end of said seat being free, said seatbeing supported by said upstanding support members at the point they cross; and d. handle means carried by the chair for moving said chair. l0. A chair as defined in claim 9 in which said seat comprises:

lo a. a horizontal support bar connected to said upstanding d means retaining said side members at selected positions relative to each other to vary the effective contour of said seat. 

